Anti-theft device for vehicle

ABSTRACT

An anti-theft system for a vehicle, includes certifying means of an electronic key for getting in the vehicle, human body certification information certifying means, door lock control means for unlocking a vehicle door in a case where the electronic key is certified by the certifying means of the electronic key for getting in the vehicle and the human body certification information of the person is confirmed by the human body certification information certifying means in a state where the door is unlocked; memory means for memorizing ID information of the electronic key; certifying means of an electronic key for starting an engine; and engine starting control means for starting the engine of the vehicle in a case where the electronic key is certified by the certifying means of the electronic key for starting the engine and the electronic key is an electronic key whose ID information is memorized in the memory means, after the vehicle door is unlocked by the door lock control means.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to anti-theft devices forvehicles, and more particularly, to an anti-theft device for a vehiclewhereby a locked vehicle door is unlocked or a stopped vehicle engine isstarted in a case where human body certification information of a humanis confirmed or an electronic key held by the human is confirmed.

BACKGROUND ART

An anti-theft device, whereby human body certification information suchas a fingerprint or an iris/retina of a driver seated on a driving seatis read and a vehicle can be driven in a case where the humanbody-certification information is confirmed, is known. See JapanLaid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-311220. According to theabove-mentioned device, since the driving of the vehicle can bepermitted for only a person being permitted to drive the vehicle inadvance, it is possible to achieve a higher security level regardingdriving of the vehicle and effectively prevent vehicle theft.

However, in a case where plural device provided in the vehicle areoperated, it is necessary to read and confirm the human bodycertification information of the user for operating each machine such asunlocking the vehicle door or starting the vehicle engine. Hence, whilea high security is achieved, it is necessary to provide a device forconfirming the human body certification information for each machine andtherefore the size of the entirety of devices installed in the vehicleis large.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to providea novel and useful anti-theft device for a vehicle.

Another and more specific object of the present invention is to providean anti-theft device for a vehicle whereby unlocking a vehicle door andstarting a vehicle engine can be realized with a simple structure andwithout loosing security.

The above object of the present invention is achieved by commonlyconfirming human body certification information in the anti-theftvehicle device.

More specifically, the above object of the present invention is achievedby an anti-theft system for a vehicle, including:

certifying means of an electronic key for getting in the vehicle, themeans being for certifying the electronic key held by a person whointends to get in the vehicle;

human body certification information certifying means, the means beingfor confirming human body certification information of the person;

door lock control means for unlocking a vehicle door in a case where theelectronic key is certified by the certifying means of the electronickey for getting in the vehicle and the human body certificationinformation of the person is confirmed by the human body certificationinformation certifying means in a state where the door is unlocked;

memory means for memorizing ID information of the electronic key whenthe vehicle door is unlocked by the door lock control means based on theelectronic key being certified by the certifying means of the electronickey for getting in the vehicle and the human body certificationinformation of the person is confirmed by the human body certificationinformation certifying means;

certifying means of an electronic key for starting an engine, the meansbeing for certifying the electronic key held by a person who intends tostart the engine; and

engine starting control means for starting the engine of the vehicle ina case where the electronic key is certified by the certifying means ofthe electronic key for starting the engine and the electronic key is anelectronic key whose ID information is memorized in the memory means,after the vehicle door is unlocked by the door lock control means.

In the above-mentioned invention, the door is unlocked in a case wherethe electronic key is certified and the human body certificationinformation of the person is confirmed. When the vehicle door isunlocked, the ID information of the electronic key is memorized in thememory means. After that, the engine is started only when the electronickey is certified by the certifying means of the electronic key forstarting the engine and the electronic key is an electronic key whose IDinformation is memorized in the memory means. Under this structure, itis not necessary to confirm the human body certification information ofthe person getting in the vehicle at the time of starting the engine forthe purpose of ensuring security regarding the starting of the engine.Accordingly, it is possible to make the size of the device small withoutreducing the security and to achieve a low cost. In addition, since theengine is started only when the electronic key is certified by thecertifying means of the electronic key for starting the engine and theelectronic key is an electronic key whose ID information is memorized inthe memory means, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the securitywhen the engine is started.

The memory means may memorize, in advance, a maximum number of times forpermitting starting the engine after the door is unlocked by the doorlock control means and

the engine starting control means may allow starting the engine for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory means by theelectronic key which is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for starting the engine and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory means, after the door is unlocked by the doorlock control means.

Under this structure, it is possible to permit starting the engineplural times after the door is unlocked and to restart the engine pluraltimes after the failure of the starting of the engine, so that it ispossible to improve the convenience to the person getting in thevehicle.

The memory means may memorize, in advance, a maximum number of times forpermitting starting the engine after the door is unlocked by the doorlock control means, the maximum number being set for every electronickey which is certified and registered, and

the engine starting control means may allow starting the engine for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory means by theelectronic key which is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for starting the engine and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory means, the maximum number corresponding to theelectronic key and being memorized in the memory means, after the dooris unlocked by the door locking control means.

Under this structure, it is possible to permit starting the engineplural different times after the door is unlocked and to restart theengine plural different times after the failure of starting the enginefor every electronic key, so that it is possible to start the engine ina state of being consistent with each person getting in the vehicle.

The memory means may memorize, in advance, a maximum number of times forpermitting starting the engine after the door is unlocked by the doorlock control means, the maximum number being set for every person who iscertified and registered, and

the engine starting control means may allow starting the engine for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory means by theelectronic key which is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for starting the engine and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory means, the maximum number corresponding to theperson whose human body certification information is confirmed by thehuman body information certifying means at the time when the door isunlocked by the door locking control means, the maximum number beingmemorized in the memory means, after the door is unlocked by the doorlocking control means.

Under this structure, it is possible to permit starting the engineplural different times after the door is unlocked and to restart theengine plural different times after the failure of starting the enginefor every person, so that it is possible to start the engine in a stateof being consistent with each person getting in the vehicle.

The engine starting control means may include permission number reducingmeans for reducing the number of times of permission for starting theengine by using the electronic key which is certified by the certifyingmeans of the electronic key for starting the engine and whose IDinformation is memorized in the memory means, when a designated timeduring which the engine is continued being run passes.

Under this structure, since the permitted number of times for startingthe engine is not decreased as long as the engine does not continued torun, it is possible to make the permission number as small as possibleeven if the failure of the starting of the engine is considered.

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by ananti-theft system for a vehicle, including:

certifying means of an electronic key for getting in the vehicle, themeans being for certifying the electronic key held by a person whointends to get in the vehicle;

human body certification information certifying means, the means beingfor confirming human body certification information of the person;

door lock control means for unlocking a vehicle door in a case where theelectronic key is certified by the certifying means of the electronickey for getting in the vehicle and the human body certificationinformation of the person is confirmed by the human body certificationinformation certifying means in a state where the door is unlocked;

writing means for writing information that the human body certificationinformation is confirmed in the electronic key as readable ordelete-able information, when the vehicle door is unlocked by the doorlock control means based on the electronic key being certified by thecertifying means of the electronic key for getting in the vehicle andthe human body certification information of the person being confirmedby the human body certification information certifying means;

certifying means of an electronic key for starting an engine, the meansbeing for certifying the electronic key held by a person who intends tostart the engine; and

engine starting control means for starting the engine of the vehicle ina case where the electronic key is certified by the certifying means ofthe electronic key for starting the engine and the information that thehuman body certification information is certified is written in theelectronic key, after the vehicle door is unlocked by the door controlmeans.

In the above-mentioned invention, the door is unlocked in a case wherethe electronic key is certified and the human body certificationinformation of the person is confirmed. When the vehicle door isunlocked, the information that the human body certification informationis confirmed is written in the electronic key. After that, the engine isstarted only when the electronic key held by the person who intends tostart the engine is certified by the certifying means of the electronickey for starting the engine and the information that the human bodycertification information is confirmed is written in the electronic key.Under this structure, it is not necessary to confirm the human bodycertification information of the person getting in the vehicle at thetime of starting the engine for the purpose of ensuring securityregarding the starting of the engine. Accordingly, it is possible tomake the size of the device small without reducing the security and toachieve a low cost. In addition, since the engine is started only whenthe electronic key held by the person who intends to start the engine iscertified by the certifying means of the electronic key for starting theengine and the information that the human body certification informationis confirmed is written in the electronic key, it is possible to preventa decrease in security when the engine is started.

The above-object of the present invention is achieved by an anti-theftsystem for a vehicle, including:

certifying means of an electronic key for starting a vehicle engine, themeans being for certifying the electronic key held by a person whointends to start the vehicle;

human body certification information certifying means, the means beingfor confirming human body certification information of the person;

engine starting control means for starting the engine in a case wherethe electronic key is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for starting the engine and the human body certificationinformation of the person is confirmed by the human body certificationinformation certifying means in a state where the engine is stoppedrunning;

memory means for memorizing ID information of the electronic key whenthe engine is started by the engine starting control means based on theelectronic key being certified by the certifying means of the electronickey for starting the engine and the human body certification informationof the person being confirmed by the human body certificationinformation certifying means;

certifying means of an electronic key for getting in the vehicle, themeans being for certifying the electronic key held by a person whointends to get in the vehicle; and

door locking control means for unlocking the door in a case where theelectronic key is certified by the certifying means of the electronickey for getting in the vehicle and the electronic key is an electronickey whose ID information is memorized in the memory means, after theengine is started by the engine starting control means.

In the above-mentioned invention, the engine is started in a case wherethe electronic key is certified and the human body certificationinformation of the person who intends to start the engine is confirmed.When the engine is started, the ID information of the electronic key ismemorized in the memory means. After that, the door is unlocked onlywhen the electronic key is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and the electronic key is anelectronic key whose ID information is memorized in the memory means.Under this structure, it is not necessary to confirm the human bodycertification information of the person getting in the vehicle at thetime of unlocking the door for the purpose of ensuring the securityregarding the unlocking of the door. Accordingly, it is possible to makethe size of the device small without reducing the security and toachieve a low cost. In addition, since the door is unlocked only whenthe electronic key is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and the electronic key is anelectronic key used for starting the engine, it is possible to prevent adecrease in security when the engine is started.

The memory means may memorize, in advance, a maximum number of times forpermitting unlocking the door after the engine is started by the enginestarting control means, and

the door locking control means may allow unlocking the door for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory means by theelectronic key which is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory means, after the engine is started by the enginestarting control means.

Under this structure, it is possible to permit unlocking the door pluraltimes after the engine is started and to re-unlock the door plural timesafter the failure of unlocking the door, so that it is possible toimprove the convenience to the person getting in the vehicle.

The memory means may memorize, in advance, a maximum number of times forpermitting unlocking the door after the engine is started by the enginestarting control means, the maximum number of times being set for everyelectronic key which is certified and registered, and

the door locking control means may allow unlocking the door for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory means by theelectronic key which is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory means, the maximum number corresponding to theelectronic key and being memorized in the memory means, after thevehicle is started by the engine starting control means.

Under this structure, it is possible to permit unlocking the door pluraltimes after the engine is started and to re-unlock the door plural timesafter the failure of unlocking the door for every electronic key, sothat it is possible to start the engine in a state of being consistentwith each person getting in the vehicle.

The memory means may memorize, in advance, a maximum number of times forpermitting unlocking the door after the engine is started by the enginestarting control means, the maximum number being set for every personwho is certified and registered, and

the door locking control means may allow unlocking the door for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory means by theelectronic key which is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory means, the maximum number corresponding to theperson whose human body certification information is confirmed by thehuman body information certifying means at the time when the engine isstarted by the engine starting control means, the maximum number beingmemorized in the memory means, after the engine is started by the enginestarting control means.

Under this structure, it is possible to permit unlocking the door pluraltimes after the engine is started and to re-unlock the door plural timesafter the failure of unlocking the door for every the person, so that itis possible to start the engine in a state of being consistent with eachperson getting in the vehicle.

The door locking control means may include permission number reducingmeans for reducing the number of time of permission for unlocking thedoor by using the electronic key which is certified by the certifyingmeans of the electronic key for getting in the vehicle and whose IDinformation is memorized in the memory means, when the vehicle door isunlocked and then opened.

Under this structure, since the permitted number of times for unlockingthe door is not decreased as long as the door is not opened after beingunlocked, it is possible to make the permission number as small aspossible even if the failure of unlocking the door is considered.

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by ananti-theft system for a vehicle, including:

certifying means of an electronic key for starting a vehicle engine, themeans being for certifying the electronic key held by a person whointends to start the vehicle;

human body certification information certifying means, the means beingfor confirming human body certification information of the person;

engine starting control means for starting the engine in a case wherethe electronic key is certified by the certifying means of theelectronic key for starting the engine and the human body certificationinformation of the person is confirmed by the human body certificationinformation certifying means in a state where the engine is stoppedrunning;

writing means for writing information that the human body certificationinformation is confirmed to the electronic key as readable ordelete-able information, when the engines is started by the enginestarting control means based on the electronic key being certified bythe certifying means of the electronic key for starting the engine andthe human body certification information of the person being confirmedby the human body certification information certifying means;

certifying means of an electronic key for getting in the vehicle, themeans being for certifying the electronic key held by a person whointends to get in the vehicle; and

door locking control means for unlocking the door in a case where theelectronic key is certified by the certifying means of the electronickey for getting in the vehicle and information that the human bodycertification information is confirmed is written in the electronic key,after the engine is started by the engine starting control means.

In the above-mentioned invention, the engine is started in a case wherethe electronic key is certified and the human body certificationinformation of the person who intends to start the engine is confirmed.When the engine is started, the information that the human bodycertification information is confirmed is written in the electronic key.After that, the door is unlocked only when the electronic key iscertified by the certifying means of the electronic key for getting inthe vehicle and the information that the human body certificationinformation is confirmed is written in the electronic key. Under thisstructure, it is not necessary to confirm the human body certificationinformation of the person getting in the vehicle at the time ofunlocking the door for the purpose of ensuring the security regardingunlocking the door. Accordingly, it is possible to make the size of thedevice simple without reducing the security and achieve a low cost. Inaddition, since the door is unlocked only when the electronic key iscertified by the certifying means of the electronic key for getting inthe vehicle and the information that the human body certificationinformation is confirmed is written in the electronic key, it ispossible to prevent a decrease in security when the engine is started.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system structure of an anti-theftvehicle device of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control routine implemented by the anti-theftvehicle device of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a state transition of an engine startpermission counter of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a system structure of an anti-theftvehicle device of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a control routine implemented by the anti-theftvehicle device of the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a table showing a maximum permission number of times set foreach electronic key, of starting an engine after a vehicle door islocked or a maximum permission number of times of unlocking of thevehicle door after the engine is started; and

FIG. 7 is a table showing a maximum permission number set for eachperson, of starting the engine after the vehicle door is locked.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A description is next given, with reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 7, ofembodiments of an anti-theft device for a vehicle of the presentinvention.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system structure of an anti-theftvehicle device 10 of a first embodiment of the present invention. Asshown in FIG. 1, the anti-theft vehicle device 10 of the firstembodiment of the present invention includes a door lock control device12 and an engine starting device 14 installed in a vehicle. The doorlock control device 12 switches locking and unlocking of doors providedin the vehicle by using a door lock motor 16. A separated door lockmotor 16 is provided for each vehicle door. The starting device 14implements starting of an engine provided in the vehicle for vehiclepower by using an engine starter 18.

The anti-theft vehicle device 10 further includes a certifying device 20of an electronic key for getting in a vehicle and a certifying device 22of an electronic key for starting an engine which are installed in thevehicle, and an electronic key 24 held by a person getting in thevehicle. ID information for identifying the key is installed in theelectronic key 24. The electronic key 24 has a function for encoding asignal (hereinafter “response signal”) including a designated responsecode and an ID code of the electronic key 24 based on a request from theoutside and for sending them. The certifying device 20 of the electronickey for getting in the vehicle and the certifying device 22 of theelectronic key for starting the engine memorize the ID information ofthe electronic key 24 that is certified and registered in advance to bepermitted to be used for the vehicle. The electronic key 24, where theID information is memorized for a single vehicle and which is certifiedand registered, is normally plural in numbers because there needs to bea master key, a spare key and others.

An approach detection sensor 26 provided in the vicinity of a door outerhandle of a vehicle door is connected to the certifying device 20 of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle. The approach detection sensor26 includes an antenna for receiving and sending a signal. In a statewhere the vehicle engine is not running and all of the vehicle doors arelocked, the approach detection sensor 26 periodically sends a signal(hereinafter “vehicle room outside request signal”) for requesting aresponse by the electronic key 24 from the antenna toward the outside ofthe vehicle room in the vicinity of the vehicle door and receives aresponse signal sent from the electronic key 24. The approach detectionsensor 26 detects whether a person having the electronic key 24 existsoutside of the vehicle room in the vicinity of the vehicle based on theexistence of a receipt of the response signal after the vehicle roomoutside request signal is sent, so as to detect an approach of a personwho intends to get in the vehicle. The certifying device 20 of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle is started working in a casewhere the approach detection sensor 26 detects the approach of theperson who intends to get in the vehicle. The certifying device 20determines whether the electronic key 24 is a key certified andregistered for the vehicle in advance namely whether the electronic key24 held by the person approaching the vehicle can be certified, bycomparing the ID information included in the response signal from theelectronic key 24 with the ID of the electronic key certified andregistered in advance.

An engine starting switch 28, provided near the steering wheel in thevehicle room so that a driver can operate, is connected to thecertifying device 22 of the electronic key for starting the engine.

The engine starting switch 28 is, for example, a pushing pressure typeswitch for starting the vehicle engine from a driving stop state. Thecertifying device 22 of the electronic key for starting the engine hasan antenna for sending and receiving a signal situated in the vehicleroom. The certifying device 22 sends a signal (hereinafter “vehicle roominside request signal”) for requesting a response from the electronickey 24 from the antenna toward the inside of the vehicle room in a casewhere the engine starting switch 28 is turned on for starting theengine, and receives a response signal sent from the electronic key 24.In a case where the certifying device 22 receives the response signalfrom the electronic key 24 after sending the vehicle room inside requestsignal, the certifying device 22 determines whether the electronic key24 is a key certified and registered for the vehicle in advance, namelywhether the electronic key 24 held by the person in the vehicle room canbe certified, by comparing the ID information included in the responsesignal from the electronic key 24 with the ID of the electronic keycertified and registered in advance.

A counter (hereinafter “engine starting permission counter”) 30indicating the number of permitted times of starting the engine afterthe vehicle door is unlocked by using a door lock motor 16 is installedin the certifying device 22. The engine starting permission counter 30has a count value for every electronic key 24, “0” or “1” in thisembodiment.

The anti-theft vehicle device 10 further includes a human bodycertification information certifying device 32 installed in the vehicle.The human body certification information certifying device 32 has acamera 34 for photographing a face which is provided at a body pillar ofthe vehicle. The camera 34 photographs the face of a person who intendsto get in the vehicle from the outside of the vehicle so as to produce apicture. The human body certification information certifying device 32memorizes, in advance, information about specific features orconfigurations of all persons who get in the vehicle. In a case wherethe face of the person who intends to get in the vehicle is photographedby the camera 34, the human body certification information certifyingdevice 32 extracts the specific features or configuration of the face ofthe person from the photographed picture and compares the extracted faceand the faces of persons certified and registered in advance, so as todetermine whether the photographed face is a face certified andregistered for the vehicle, namely whether the human body certificationinformation of the person who intends to get in the vehicle isconfirmed. As discussed above, in this embodiment, the certifying device32 confirms the human body certification information of the person whointends to get in the vehicle based on the photographed picture by usingthe camera 34. However, the present invention is not limited to this.The certifying device 32 may confirm the human body certificationinformation of the person who intends to get in the vehicle based on abody specific feature of the person who intends to get in the vehiclesuch as a fingerprint, iris/retina, or vein.

The above discussed door lock control device 12, the engine startingdevice 14, the certifying device 20 of the electronic key for getting inthe vehicle, the certifying device 22 of the electronic key for startingthe engine, and the human body certification information certifyingdevice 32 are connected to each other via a bus 36 so that sending andreceiving the information can be implemented.

Next, an operation of the anti-theft vehicle device 10 of the firstembodiment of the present invention is discussed with reference to FIG.2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control routine implemented by theanti-theft vehicle device 10 of the first embodiment of the presentinvention.

In this embodiment, in a case where the vehicle engine is not runningand all of the vehicle doors are closed and locked, the vehicle roomoutside reguest signal is periodically sent from the antenna of theapproach detection sensor 26 to the outside of the vehicle. If theperson having the electronic key 24 approaches the vehicle under thisstate, the electronic key 24 reacts to the vehicle room outside requestsignal and sends the response signal including the designated responsecode and the ID code of the electronic key 24 to the vehicle. In a casewhere the approach detection sensor 26 does not receive the responsesignal from the electronic key 24 after sending the vehicle room outsiderequest signal, the approach detection sensor 26 determines that theperson does not approach to the vehicle. In a case where the approachdetection sensor 26 receives the response signal from the electronic key24, the approach detection sensor 26 detects that the person approachesthe vehicle, and notifies the certifying device 20 that the personapproaches the vehicle, and provides to the certifying device 20 the IDinformation of the electronic key 24.

In a case where the approach of the person to the vehicle is reported bythe approach detection sensor 26, the certifying device 20 of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle is started working. Thecertifying device 20 determines whether the electronic key 24 held bythe person approaching the vehicle is certified, by comparing the IDinformation included in the reported contents with the ID of all of theelectronic keys certified and registered in advance (S50). As a resultof this, in a case where the ID of the electronic key 24 is notconsistent with any of the IDs registered for the vehicle in advance sothat it is determined that the electronic key 24 is not confirmed, theprocess is completed without proceeding to further steps. In a casewhere the ID of the electronic key 24 is consistent with one of the IDsregistered for the vehicle in advance so that it is determined that theelectronic key 24 is confirmed, the ID information of the electronic key24 is memorized and the certifying device 20 notifies to the human bodycertification information certifying device 32 that the electronic key24 held by the person who intends to get in the vehicle is confirmed.

In a case where the human body certification information certifyingdevice 32 is notified by the certifying device 20 that the electronickey 24 held by the person who intends to get in the vehicle is confirmedat the time of getting in the vehicle, the camera 34 photographs theface of the person who intends to get in the vehicle. Then the humanbody certification information certifying device 32 extracts thespecific features or configuration of the face of the person from thephotographed picture and compares the extracted face and the face of theperson certified and registered in advance, so as to determine whetherthe photographed face is a face certified and registered for the vehicle(S52). As a result of this, in a case where it is determined that thehuman body certification information is not confirmed, the process iscompleted without proceeding to further steps. In a case where it isdetermined that the human body certification information is confirmed,the human body certification information certifying device 32 sends asignal to the door lock control device 12 for instructing that thevehicle door 12 be switched from a locked state to an unlocked state andnotifies the certifying device 22 of the electronic key for starting theengine that the human body information of the person who intends to getin the vehicle is confirmed.

In a case where the door lock control device 12 is instructed by thehuman body certification information device 32 that the vehicle door isto be switched to be unlocked, the door lock control device 12 suppliesan instruction signal to the door lock motors 16 corresponding to all ofthe vehicle doors so that the vehicle doors are unlocked (S54). In thiscase, all of the locked vehicle doors are unlocked by radiocommunications between the devices installed in the anti-theft vehicledevice 10 and the electronic key 24 held by the person who intends toget in the vehicle. As a result of this, the person who intends to getin the vehicle can open the vehicle door and get in the vehicle roomwithout operating the electronic key 24.

In a case where the certifying device 22 of the electronic key forstarting the engine is notified by the human body certificationinformation certifying device 32 that the human body information of theperson who intends to get in the vehicle is confirmed, the certifyingdevice 22 supplies a signal for requesting the certifying device 20 tosend the ID information of the electronic key 24 held by the person whointends to get in the vehicle for which the confirmation has been done.The certifying device 20 memorizes the ID information of the electronickey 24 held by the person who intends to get in the vehicle. In a casewhere a signal, requesting to send the ID information of the electronickey 24 memorized at the time when the person approaches the vehicle, issupplied from certifying device 22 to the certifying device 20 after thecertifying device 20 reports the confirmation of the electronic key 24to the human body certification information certifying device 32, thecertifying device 20 sends the ID information of the electronic key 24to the certifying device 22. In a case where the certifying device 22receives the ID information sent from the certifying device 20 afterrequesting the certifying device 20 to send the ID information of theelectronic key 24, the certifying device 22 changes the counter valueindicated by the engine starting counter 30 corresponding to the ID ofthe electronic key 24 from “0” to “1” (S56).

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a state transition of the enginestart permission counter 30 of this embodiment.

In a case where the certifying device 22 is notified by the human bodycertification information certifying device 32 that the human bodyinformation of the person who intends to get in the vehicle isconfirmed, the certifying device 22 supplies a signal for requesting thecertifying device 20 to send the ID information of the electronic key24, and then the ID information that is “002” of the electronic key 24sent from the certifying device 20 is received by the certifying device22, and as shown in FIG. 3, the count value of the engine startingpermission counter 30 corresponding to the electronic key 24 whose ID is“002” is changed from “0” to “1”.

Next, in a case where the engine starting switch 28 is turned on whilethe engine is stopped running after the person gets in the vehicle,namely in a case of “yes” in the step 58, the vehicle room insiderequest signal is sent from the antenna of the certifying device 22 tothe inside of the vehicle. Under this state, in a case where a personhaving the electronic key 24 is inside of the vehicle, that is a personwho intends to start the engine has the electronic key 24, theelectronic key 24 reacts to the vehicle room inside request signal andsends the response signal including the designated response code and theID code of the electronic key 24 to the certifying device 22.

In a case where the certifying device 22 does not receive the responsesignal from the electronic key 24 after sending the vehicle room insiderequest signal, the certifying device 22 determines that the person whointends to start the engine does not have the electronic key 24. In acase where the certifying device 22 receives the response signal fromthe electronic key 24, the certifying device 22 detects that the personwho intends to start the engine has the electronic key 24, compares theID information of the electronic key 24 included in the response signalwith the IDs of all the electronic keys that are certified andregistered in advance, and determines whether the electronic key 24 heldby the person who intends to start the engine is confirmed (S60). As aresult of this, in a case where the ID of the electronic key 24 is notconsistent with the IDs registered for the vehicle in advance so that itis determined that the electronic key 24 is not confirmed, the processis completed without proceeding to further steps. In a case where the IDof the electronic key 24 is consistent with one of the IDs registeredfor the vehicle in advance so that it is determined that the electronickey 24 is confirmed, the counter value indicated by the engine startingpermission counter 30 corresponding to the ID of the electronic key 24is referred so that whether the counter value is “1” is determined(S62).

In a case where the engine starting permission counter indicates acounter value of not “1” but “0”, the counter value has not been changedfrom “0” to “1” at a door unlock timing, and therefore it is determinedthat the electronic key 24 held by the person who intends to start theengine is not an electronic key used at the door unlock timing.Therefore, in this case, it is proper not to start the engine even ifthe electronic key 24 held by the person who intends to start the engineis confirmed. On the other hand, in a case where the engine startingpermission counter indicates a counter value of “1”, the counter valuehas been changed from “0” to “1” at a door unlock timing, and thereforeit is determined that the electronic key 24 held by the person whointends to start the engine is identical to the electronic key used atthe door unlock timing. Therefore, in this case, the engine can bestarted. In a case where the certifying device 22 determines that the IDof the electronic key 24 is consistent with one of the IDs registeredfor the vehicle in advance so that the electronic key 24 is confirmedand then that counter value indicated by the engine starting permissioncounter 30 corresponding to the ID of the electronic key 24 is “1”, aninstruction signal for starting the engine is supplied to the enginestarting device 14.

In a case where the engine starting device 14 is instructed by thecertifying device 22 so as to make the engine start, the engine startingdevice 14 supplies an instruction signal for starting the engine to theengine starter 18 (S64). In this case, the vehicle engine is started sothat the vehicle can be driven, by radio communications between thedevices installed in the anti-theft vehicle device 10 after the enginestarting switch 28 is operated and the electronic key 24 is held by theperson who intends to start the engine.

The engine starting device 14 determines whether the engine runsindependently from the engine starter 18 after a designated time—(forexample s seconds) passes after the engine is started (S66). As a resultof this, if the engine starting device 14 determines that the engine isnot running, the engine starting device 14 makes the process end. On theother hand, if the engine starting device 14 determines that the engineis running, the engine starting device 14 supplies an instruction signalto the certifying device 22 so that the count value that corresponds tothe ID of the designated electronic key 24 and is determined as “1” isdecremented to “0”. In a case where the certifying device 22 is, afterinstructing the engine starting device 14 to start the engine,instructed by the engine starting device 14 so that the count valueindicated by the engine starting permission counter 30 is decremented,the count value corresponding to the ID of the electronic key 24 whichis confirmed at the engine starting time is reset to “0” (S68).

Under the structure of the above discussed anti-theft vehicle device 10,the unlocking of the locked vehicle door is realized when the electronickey 24 held by the person who intends to get in the vehicle is confirmedto be consistent with a key certified and registered to the vehicle sidein advance and when the human body certification information of theperson is confirmed to be consistent with the information certified andregistered to the vehicle side in advance. That is, even if the personwho intends to get in the vehicle has the electronic key 24, as long asthe electronic key 24 is not certified and registered at the vehicleside or the human body certification information is not certified andregistered at the vehicle side, the vehicle door is not unlocked.Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to ensure highsecurity regarding unlocking the vehicle door.

In addition, under the structure of the above discussed anti-theftvehicle device 10, the engine is started when the electronic key 24 heldby the person who intends to start the engine is confirmed to beconsistent with a key certified and registered to the vehicle side inadvance and when the electronic key 24 is an electronic key permitted tostart the engine based on the counter value of the engine startingpermission counter 30. That is, even if the person who intends to get inthe vehicle and start the engine has the electronic key 24, as long asthe electronic key 24 is not certified and registered at the vehicleside or the electronic key 24 is not a key permitted to start the enginewhile the human body certification information is certified andregistered at the vehicle side, the vehicle engine is not started.

The electronic key 24 permitted to start the engine is an electronic keyhaving an ID wherein the counter value of the engine starting permissioncounter 30 is changed to “1” when the vehicle door is unlocked byconfirming the ID of the electronic key 24 and the human bodycertification information. Not only that the electronic key 24 held bythe person who intends to start the engine is confirmed that it isconsistent with a key certified and registered to the vehicle side inadvance but also that the electronic key 24 is an electronic keypermitted to start the engine, are conditions for starting the engine.Hence, it is possible to realize the same effect as an effect achievedby confirming again the human body certification information forstarting the engine. Therefore, according to this embodiment, ascompared with a structure where the engine is started only when theelectronic key 24 held by the person who intends to start the engine isconfirmed that it is consistent with a key certified and registered tothe vehicle side, it is possible to achieve a higher security level forstarting the vehicle engine.

Furthermore, under this structure, it is not necessary to confirm thehuman body certification information of the person getting in thevehicle at the time of starting the engine for the purpose of ensuringsecurity regarding the starting of the engine. Accordingly, it is notnecessary to separately provide a human body certification informationcertifying device for door unlocking and a human body certificationinformation certifying device for starting the engine. As for theentirety of the anti-theft vehicle device 10 which unlocks the door andstarts the engine, it is possible to make the size of the device smallwithout reducing security and to achieve a low cost.

Thus, according to the anti-theft vehicle device 10 of this embodiment,it is possible to realize unlocking the door of the vehicle and startingthe engine with a simple structure and without reducing the security bycommonly confirming the human body certification information. Therefore,it is possible to securely prevent the theft of the vehicle based onunlocking of the door or starting the engine by a suspicious person,with a simple structure.

In this embodiment, when the count value indicated by the enginestarting permission counter 30 is “1”, the vehicle engine is permittedto be started. When the count value is reset to “0”, the engine isprevented from starting as long as the state of the vehicle door is notswitched from locked to unlocked by the above-mentioned method. Thiscount value is changed from “0” to “1” at the time when the vehicle dooris unlocked by confirming the ID of the electronic key 24 held by theperson who intends to get in the vehicle and confirming the human bodycertification information of the person. After that, the count values isreduced only when the engine is run after a designated time passes afterthe engine is started, and is reset to “0”. That is, even if the engineis started, as long as time for running the engine is short, the countvalue is not reset to “0”. Therefore, in a case where the engine failsto start due to the atmosphere outside of the vehicle or otherconditions, it is possible to ensure to restarting the engine withoutpreventing starting the engine and thereby usefulness to a persongetting in the vehicle can be improved. Furthermore, in a case where theelectronic key 24 is stolen after the door is unlocked, since the enginecan be started only one time, it is possible to prevent the value of theuse of the vehicle from being reduced.

Furthermore, as described above, under a structure where the count valueof the engine starting permission counter 30 is not reset when therunning time of the engine after the engine is started is short, it ispossible to make a maximum number of times for permitting starting theengine after door unlocking, under consideration of failure of thestarting of the engine, as small as possible.

In the first embodiment, the certifying device 20 of the electronic keyfor getting in the vehicle corresponds to “certifying means of anelectronic key for getting in a vehicle” in claims, the human bodycertification information certifying device 32 corresponds to “humanbody certification information certifying means” in claims, the doorlock control device 12 corresponds to “door lock control means” inclaims, the engine starting permission counter 30 corresponds to “memorymeans” in claims, the certifying device 22 of the electronic key forstarting the engine corresponds to “certifying means of an electronickey for starting an engine”, and the engine starting device 14corresponds to “engine starting control means” in claims, and a functionwhereby an instruction signal for decrementing the count valuecorresponding to the ID of the specific electronic key 24 of the enginestarting permission counter 30 to “0” is supplied from the enginestarting device 14 to the certifying device 22 corresponds to a functionof “permission number reducing means” in claims.

Meanwhile, in the above-discussed first embodiment, the count value ofthe engine starting permission counter 30 is set as “1” at the time ofdoor unlocking and then the count value is reset under the considerationof the failure of the engine starting in a case where the running timeafter the engine is started is relatively long. However, the presentinvention is not limited to this. The count value of the engine startingpermission counter 30 may be set as a designated value more than “2” atthe time of door unlocking and then the count value may be decrementedevery time when the engine is started. Under this structure, it ispossible to permit starting the engine plural time after the door isunlocked and to restart the engine after the failure of starting theengine, so that it is possible to improve the convenience to the persongetting in the vehicle.

In the first embodiment, the count value of the engine startingpermission counter 30 is reset in a case where the running time afterthe engine is started is relatively long. But, the present invention isnot limited to this. The count value of the engine starting permissioncounter 30 may be reset in a case where a rotation number of the enginereaches a designated number or a distance driven by the vehicle afterthe engine is started reaches the designated distance.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a system structure of an anti-theftvehicle device 100 of the second embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 4, parts that are the same as the parts shown in FIG. 1 are giventhe same reference numerals, and explanation thereof is omitted. Asshown in FIG. 4, the anti-theft vehicle device 100 of the secondembodiment of the present invention includes the door lock controldevice 12, the engine starting device 14, a certifying device 102 of anelectronic key for starting an engine and a certifying device 104 of anelectronic key for getting in a vehicle which are installed in thevehicle, and the electronic key 24 held by the person getting in thevehicle. The certifying device 104 of the electronic key for getting inthe vehicle and the certifying device 102 of the electronic key forstarting the engine memorize the ID information of the electronic key 24that is certified and registered in advance to be permitted to be usedfor the vehicle.

An engine starting switch 28 is connected to the certifying device 102of the electronic key for starting the engine. The certifying device 102of the electronic key for starting the engine has an antenna for sendingand receiving a signal situated in the vehicle room. The certifyingdevice 102 sends a vehicle room inside request signal from the antennatoward the inside of the vehicle room in a case where the enginestarting switch 28 is turned on for starting the engine, and receives aresponse signal sent from the electronic key 24. In a case where thecertifying device 102 receives the response signal from the electronickey 24 after sending the vehicle room inside request signal, thecertifying device 102 determines whether the electronic key 24 is a keycertified and registered for the vehicle in advance, namely whether theelectronic key 24 held by the person in the vehicle room can becertified, by comparing the ID information included in the responsesignal from the electronic key 24 with the ID of the electronic keycertified and registered in advance.

An approach detection sensor 26 is connected to the certifying device104 of the electronic key for getting in the vehicle. The certifyingdevice 104 of the electronic key for getting in the vehicle is startedworking in a case where the approach detection sensor 26 detects theapproach of a person who intends to get in the vehicle. The certifyingdevice 104 determines whether the electronic key 24 is a key certifiedand registered for the vehicle in advance, namely whether the electronickey 24 held by the person approaching the vehicle can be certified, bycomparing the ID information included in the response signal from theelectronic key 24 with the ID of the electronic key certified andregistered in advance.

A counter (hereinafter “door unlocking permission counter”) 106indicating the number of permitted times of unlocking of the vehicledoor after the vehicle engine is started by using the engine starter 18is installed in the certifying device 104. The door unlocking permissioncounter 106 has a count value for every electronic key 24, “0” or “1” inthis embodiment.

The anti-theft vehicle device 100 further includes a human bodycertification information certifying device 108 installed in thevehicle. The human body certification information certifying device 108has a camera 110 for photographing a face which is provided at a bodypillar of the vehicle. The camera 110 photographs the face of a personwho intends to get in the vehicle from the outside of the vehicle so asto produce a picture. The human body certification informationcertifying device 108 memorizes, in advance, information about specificfeatures or configurations of all of the persons who may get in thevehicle. In a case where the face of the person who intends to get inthe vehicle is photographed by the camera 110, the human bodycertification information certifying device 108 extracts the specificfeatures or configuration of the face of the person from thephotographed picture and compares the extracted face and a face of theperson certified and registered in advance, so as to determine whetherthe photographed face is a face certified and registered for thevehicle, namely whether the human body certification information of theperson who intends to get in the vehicle is confirmed. As discussedabove, in this embodiment, the certifying device 108 confirms the humanbody certification information of the person who intends to get in thevehicle based on the photographed picture by using the camera 110.However, the present invention is not limited to this. The certifyingdevice 108 may confirm the human body certification information of theperson who intends to get in the vehicle based on a body specificfeature of the person who intends to get in the vehicle such as afingerprint, iris/retina, or vein.

The above discussed door lock control device 12, the engine startingdevice 14, the certifying device 104 of the electronic key for gettingin the vehicle, the certifying device 102 of the electronic key forstarting the engine, and the human body certification informationcertifying device 108 are connected to each other via a bus 112 so thatsending and receiving the information can be implemented.

Next, an operation of the anti-theft vehicle device 100 of the secondembodiment of the present invention is discussed with reference to FIG.5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a control routine implemented by theanti-theft vehicle device 100 of the second embodiment of the presentinvention.

In this embodiment, when the engine starting switch 28 is turned onwhile the engine is stopped running after the person gets in thevehicle, namely in a case of “yes” in the step 58 (FIG. 2), the vehicleroom inside request signal is sent from the antenna of the certifyingdevice 102 to the inside of the vehicle. Under this state, in a casewhere a person having the electronic key 24 is inside of the vehicle,that is a person who intends to start the engine has the electronic key24, the electronic key 24 reacts to the vehicle room inside requestsignal and sends the response signal including the designated responsecode and the ID code of the electronic key 24 to the certifying device102.

In a case where the certifying device 102 does not receive the responsesignal from the electronic key 24 after sending the vehicle room insiderequest signal, the certifying device 102 determines that the person whointends to start the engine does not have the electronic key 24. In acase where the certifying device 102 receives the response signal fromthe electronic key 24, the certifying device 102 detects that the personwho intends to start the engine has the electronic key 24, compares theID information of the electronic key 24 included in the response signalwith the IDs of all of the electronic keys that are certified andregistered in advance, and determines whether the electronic key 24 heldby the person who intends to start the engine is confirmed (S150). As aresult of this, in a case where the ID of the electronic key 24 is notconsistent with the ID registered for the vehicle in advance so that itis determined that the electronic key 24 is not confirmed, the processis completed without proceeding to further steps. In a case where the IDof the electronic key 24 is consistent with the ID registered for thevehicle in advance so that it is determined that the electronic key 24is confirmed, the certifying device 102 memorizes the ID information ofthe electronic key 24 and reports the confirmation of the electronic key24 held by the person who intends to start the engine, to the human bodycertification information certifying device 108.

In a case where the human body certification information certifyingdevice 108 is notified by the certifying device 102 that the electronickey 24 held by the person who intends to get in the vehicle is confirmedat the time when the engine is started, the camera 110 photographs theface of the person who intends to get in the vehicle. Then the humanbody certification information certifying device 108 extracts thespecific feature or configuration of the face of the person from thephotographed picture and compares the extracted face and the face of theperson certified and registered in advance, so as to determine whetherthe photographed faces is a face certified and registered for thevehicle (S152). As a result of this, in a case where it is determinedthat the human body certification information is not confirmed, theprocess is completed without proceeding to further steps. In a casewhere it is determined that the human body certification information isconfirmed, the human body certification information certifying device108 sends a signal to the engine starting device 14 for instructing thatthe engine be started and notifies the certifying device 104 that thehuman body information of the person who intends to start the engine isconfirmed.

In a case where the engine starting device 14 is instructed by thecertifying device 108 so as to make the engine start, the enginestarting device 14 supplies an instruction signal for starting theengine to the engine starter 18 (S154). In this case, the vehicle engineis started so that the vehicle can be driven, by radio communicationbetween the devices installed in the anti-theft vehicle device 10 afterthe engine starting switch 28 is operated and the electronic key 24 heldby the person who intends to start the engine.

In a case where the certifying device 104 of the electronic key forgetting in the vehicle is notified by the human body certificationinformation certifying device 108 that the human body information of theperson who intends to start the engine is confirmed, the certifyingdevice 104 supplies a signal for requesting the certifying device 102 tosend the ID information of the electronic key 24 held by the person whointends to start the engine for which the confirmation has been done.The certifying device 102 memorizes the ID information of the electronickey 24 held by the person who intends to start the engine. In a casewhere a signal, requesting to send the ID information of the electronickey 24 memorized at the time when the engine is started, is suppliedfrom the certifying device 104 to the certifying device 102 after thecertifying device 102 reports the confirmation of the electronic key 24to the human body certification information certifying device 108, thecertifying device 102 sends the ID information of the electronic key 24to the certifying device 104. In a case where the certifying device 104receives the ID information sent from the certifying device 102 afterrequesting the certifying device 102 to send the ID information of theelectronic key 24, as shown in FIG. 3, the certifying device 102 changesthe counter value indicated by the door unlocking permission counter 106corresponding to the ID of the electronic key 24 from “0” to “1” (S156).

Next, in a case where the vehicle engine is stopped running, the personin the vehicle gets out of the vehicle, all of the vehicle doors arelocked, and the vehicle room outside request signal is periodically sentfrom the antenna of the approach detection sensor 26 connected to thecertifying device 104 to the outside of the vehicle. If the personhaving the electronic key 24 approaches the vehicle under this state,the electronic key 24 reacts to the vehicle room outside request signaland sends the response signal including the designated response code andthe ID code of the electronic key 24 to the vehicle. In a case where theapproach detection sensor 26 does not receive the response signal fromthe electronic key 24 after sending the vehicle outside request signal,the approach detection sensor 26 determines that the person does notapproach the vehicle. In a case where the approach detection sensor 26receives the response signal from the electronic key 24, the approachdetection sensor 26 detects that the person approaches the vehicle andnotifies the certifying device 104 that the person approaches thevehicle and provide to the certifying device 104 the ID information ofthe electronic key 24 (S158).

The certifying device 104 is started when receiving the notification ofthe approach of the person to the vehicle from the approach detectionsensor 26. The certifying device 104 compares the ID information of theelectronic key 24 included in the notification with the IDs of all ofelectronic keys that are certified and registered in advance, anddetermined whether the electronic key 24 held by the person whoapproaches the vehicle is confirmed (S160). As a result of this, in acase where the ID of the electronic key 24 is not consistent with any ofthe IDs registered for the vehicle in advance so that it is determinedthat the electronic key 24 is not confirmed, the process is completedwithout proceeding to further steps. In a case where the ID of theelectronic key 24 is consistent with one of the IDs registered for thevehicle in advance so that it is determined that the electronic key 24is confirmed, the counter value indicated by the door locking permissioncounter 106 corresponding to the ID of the electronic key 24 is referredto so that whether the counter value is “1” is determined (S162).

In a case where the door locking permission counter indicates a countervalue of not “1” but “0”, the counter value has not been changed from“0” to “1” at a door unlock timing, and therefore it is determined thatthe electronic key 24 held by the person who intends to get in thevehicle is not the electronic key used for the engine starting.Therefore, in this case, it is proper not to unlock the door even if theelectronic key 24 held by the person who intends to get in the vehicleis confirmed. On the other hand, in a case where the door lockingpermission counter indicates a counter value of “1”, the counter valuehas been changed from “0” to “1” at the engine starting, and thereforeit is determined that the electronic key 24 held by the person whointends to get in the vehicle is identical to the electronic key usedfor the engine starting. Therefore, in this case, the door can beunlocked. In a case where the certifying device 104 determines that theID of the electronic key 24 is consistent with the ID registered for thevehicle in advance so that the electronic key 24 is confirmed and thenthe counter value indicated by the door unlocking permission counter 106corresponding to the ID of the electronic key 24 is “I”, a instructionsignal for switching the state of the door from a locking state to anunlocking state is supplied to the door locking control device 12.

In a case where the door lock control device 12 is instructed by thecertifying device. 104 that the vehicle door is to be switched tounlocked, the door lock control device 12 supplies a instruction signalto the door lock motors 16 corresponding to all of the vehicle doors sothat the vehicle doors are unlocked (S164). In this case, all of thelocked vehicle doors are unlocked by radio communications between thedevices installed in the anti-theft vehicle device 100 and theelectronic key 24 held by the person who intends to get in the vehicle.As a result of this, the person who intends to get in the vehicle canopen the vehicle door and get in the vehicle room without operating theelectronic key 24.

The door locking control device 12 determines whether the door is openedafter the door is unlocked (S166). As a result of this, if the doorlocking control device 12 determines that no door is opened, the doorlocking control device 12 makes the process end. On the other hand, ifthe door locking device 12 determines that any door is opened, the doorlocking device 12 supplies an instruction signal to the certifyingdevice 104 so that the count value that corresponds to the ID of thedesignated electronic key 24 and is determined as “1” is decremented to“0”. In a case where the certifying device 104 is, after instructing thedoor locking control device 12 to unlock the door, instructed by thedoor locking device 12 so that the count value indicated by the doorunlocking permission counter 106 is decremented, the count valuecorresponding to the ID of the electronic key 24 which is confirmed atthe engine starting time is reset to “0” (S168).

Under the structure of the above discussed anti-theft vehicle device100, the engine is started when the electronic key 24 held by the personwho intends to start the engine is confirmed to be consistent with akey-certified and registered to the vehicle side in advance and when thehuman body certification information of the person is confirmed to beconsistent with the information certified and registered to the vehicleside in advance. That is, even if the person who intends to get in thevehicle and start the engine has the electronic key 24, as long as theelectronic key 24 is not certified and registered at the vehicle side orthe human body certification information is not certified and registeredat the vehicle side, the vehicle engine is not started. Therefore,according to this embodiment, it is possible to ensure high securitypertaining unlocking the vehicle door.

Under the structure of the above discussed anti-theft vehicle device100, the unlocking of the locked vehicle door is realized when theelectronic key 24 held by the person who intends to get in the vehicleis confirmed to be consistent with a key certified and registered to thevehicle side in advance and when the electronic key 24 is an electronickey permitted to unlock the door based on the counter value of the doorunlocking permission counter 106. That is, even if the person whointends to get in the vehicle has the electronic key 24, as long as theelectronic key 24 is not certified and registered at the vehicle side orthe electronic key 24 is not a key permitted to unlock the door whilethe human body certification information is certified and registered atthe vehicle side, the vehicle door is not unlocked.

The electronic key 24 permitted to unlock the door is an electronic keyhaving an ID wherein the counter value of the door unlock permissioncounter 106 is changed to “1” when the engine is started by confirmingthe ID of the electronic key 24 and the human body certificationinformation. Not only that the electronic key 24 held by the person whointends to get in the vehicle is confirmed to be consistent with a keycertified and registered to the vehicle side in advance, but also thatthe electronic key 24 is an electronic key permitted to unlock the door,are conditions for unlocking the door. Hence, it is possible to realizethe same effect as an effect achieved by confirming again the human bodycertification information for unlocking the door. Therefore, accordingto this embodiment, as compared with a structure where the door isunlocked only when the electronic key 24 held by the person who intendsto get in the vehicle is confirmed that it is consistent with a keycertified and registered to the vehicle side, it is possible to achievea higher security level for unlocking the door.

Furthermore, under this structure, it is not necessary to confirm thehuman body certification information of the person getting in thevehicle at the time of unlocking the door for the purpose of ensuringsecurity regarding unlocking the door. Accordingly, it is not necessaryto separately provide a human body certification information certifyingdevice for door unlocking and a human body certification informationcertifying device for starting the engine. As for the entirety of theanti-theft vehicle device 100 which unlocks the door and starts theengine, it is possible to make the size of the device small withoutreducing security and to achieve a low cost.

Thus, according to the anti-theft vehicle device 100 of this embodiment,it is possible to realize unlocking the door of the vehicle and startingthe engine with a simple structure and without losing security bycommonly confirming the human body certification information. Therefore,it is possible securely prevent the theft of the vehicle based onunlocking the door or starting the engine by a suspicious person, with asimple structure.

In this embodiment, when the count value indicated by the door unlockingpermission counter 106 is “1”, the door is permitted to be unlocked.When the count value is reset to “0”, the door is prevented from beingunlocked as long as the engine has not been started by theabove-mentioned method. This count value is changed from “0” to “1” atthe time when the engine is started by confirming the ID of theelectronic key 24 held by the person who intends to start the engine andconfirming the human body certification information of the person. Afterthat, the count value is reduced and is reset to “0” only when theengine is stopped, the person is gets out, the door is locked, the dooris unlocked, and then the door is opened. That is, even if the door isunlocked, as long as the door is not opened, the count value is notreset to “0”. Therefore, in a case where the door is locked after beingunlocked but not opened, it is possible to ensure security regardingunlocking the door without preventing unlocking the door and therebyusefulness to a person getting in the vehicle can be improved.Furthermore, in a case where the electronic key 24 is stolen after theengine is started, since unlocking the door is permitted only one time,it is possible to prevent the vehicle from being stolen and prevent thevalue of the use of the vehicle from being reduced.

Furthermore, as described above, under a structure where the count valueof the door unlocking permission counter 106 is not reset when the dooris not opened after being unlocked, it is possible to make a maximumnumber of times for permitting unlocking the door after the engine isstarted as small as possible.

In the second embodiment, the certifying device 102 of the electronickey for starting the engine corresponds to “certifying means of anelectronic key for starting an engine”, and the certifying device 104 ofthe electronic key for getting in the vehicle corresponds to “certifyingmeans of an electronic key for getting in a vehicle” in claims, the doorunlocking permission counter 106 corresponds to “memory means” inclaims, and a function whereby an instruction signal for decrementingthe count value corresponding to the ID of the specific electronic key24 of the door unlocking permission counter 106 to “0” is supplied fromthe door locking control device 12 to the certifying device 104corresponds to a function of “permission number reducing means” inclaims.

Meanwhile, in the above-discussed second embodiment, the count value ofthe door unlocking permission counter 30 is set as “1” at the time ofstarting the engine and then the count value is reset after the engineis stopped, the door is locked and unlocked and then opened. However,the present invention is not limited to this. The count value of thedoor unlocking permission counter 106 may be set as a designated valuemore than “2” at the time of starting the engine and then the countvalue may be decremented every time when the door is unlocked. Underthis structure, it is possible to permit unlocking the door plural timesafter the engine is started or unlocking the door again after thefailure of unlocking the door, so that it is possible to improve theconvenience to the person getting in the vehicle.

In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, regardless ofwhether the electronic key 24 is a master key or a spare key, the countvalue of the engine starting permission counter 30 is set as “1” at thetime of door unlocking or the count value of the door unlockingpermission counter 106 is set as “1” at the time of engine starting. Aset value (maximum value) larger than “1” of the engine startingpermission counter 30 or the door unlocking permission counter 106, setfor every electronic key 24, may be memorized and the counter value maybe set to the maximum value for every electronic key 24.

For example, in a case of a test ride at a vehicle seller (car dealer),assuming that an electronic key 24 held by a staff member of the dealeris different from an electronic key 24 used for the user, as shown inFIG. 6, a maximum number of the counter values of the counters 30 and106 against the electronic key 24 (ID; 001, 002) held by the staffmember of the dealer is set as plural time such as 10 times or 100times. On the other hand, a maximum number of the counter values of thecounters 30 and 106 against the electronic key 24 (ID; 003 through 00X)held by the user is set as a single time or two times. The staff memberof the dealer frequently moves the vehicle and exhibits the vehiclewithout locking the door of the vehicle whose engine is stopped duringbusiness hours. In addition, in a case where the locked vehicle door isunlocked, the inside of the vehicle may be cleaned without starting theengine. On the other hand, since the user generally gets in the vehicleand then starts driving the vehicle, it seldom happens that the useroften gets in and out the vehicle or that the engine is often repeatedlystarted and stopped. Therefore, as described above, if the maximum valueof the count value is different for every electronic key 24, pluraltimes of starting the engine after the door is unlocked or plural timesof unlocking the door after the engine is started can be permitted forevery electronic key 24, and for different numbers of times. Therefore,it is possible to realize engine starting or door unlocking suitable foreach of the persons getting in the vehicle.

In the above mentioned example, maximum numbers of the counter values ofthe counters 30 and 106 set for every electronic key 24 are memorizedand the count value is set to the maximum value used for everyelectronic key 24. Maximum numbers of the counter values of the counters30 and 106 set for every person whose human body certificationinformation is confirmed are memorized and the count value is set to themaximum value for every person whose human body certificationinformation is confirmed at the time when the door is unlocked or theengine is started. In this case, the count value corresponding to theelectronic key 24 used when the human body certification information isconfirmed is set and then it is determined whether the electronic key 24is an electronic key which is permitted for starting the engine orunlocking the door at the time of starting the engine or unlocking thedoor.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, for a vehicle for a family, a maximumnumber for permitting the engine being started after the door isunlocked, namely the maximum number of the counter value of the counter30, is set, a maximum number corresponding to a person whose human bodycertification information is confirmed at the time of door unlocking isread, and the maximum number is memorized by linking with an ID of theelectronic key 24 used for door unlocking. The maximum number of timesof starting the engine, corresponding to the person memorizedcorresponding to the electronic key 24, is permitted. Under thisstructure, even if the door is permitted to be unlocked by a person whois under 18 years old and prohibited from driving, it is possible toprevent the engine from being started. Therefore, as described above, ifthe maximum value of the count value is different for every person, itis possible to permit different plural times of starting the engineafter unlocking the door or the door unlocking after the engine isstarted, for every person whose human body certification information isconfirmed. Hence, it is possible to realize starting the engine orunlocking the door for every person getting in the vehicle.

In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, at the time of doorunlocking and starting the engine in a case where the electronic key 24is confirmed and the human body certification information is confirmed,the count values of the counters 30 and 106 corresponding to ID of theelectronic key 24 are set “1” so that the ID information of theelectronic key 24 is memorized at the vehicle side. Since futurestarting of the engine or unlocking the door is permitted at the time ofdoor locking or starting the engine, the information that the human bodycertification information is confirmed may be read or deleted from theelectronic key 24. Under this structure, for realizing starting theengine by using the electronic key 24 after the door is unlocked, it isnecessary for the electronic key 24 for starting the engine to be anelectronic key where the information is written at the time when thedoor is unlocked. Hence, it is possible to obtain the same effect as aneffect achieved by reconfirming the human body certification informationat the time of starting the engine.

Accordingly, it is not necessary to separately provide the human bodycertification information certifying device for door unlocking and thehuman body certification information certifying device for starting theengine. As the entirely of the anti-theft vehicle device 10 or 100 whichunlocks the door and starts the engine, it is possible to make the sizeof the device small without reducing—security and to achieve a low cost.

In this case, information about the maximum number of times forpermitting starting the engine or unlocking the door may be written inat the time when the human body certification information is confirmedas being written in the electronic key 24. In addition, as for the countvalues in the first and second embodiments, the information may bedeleted or the number of permissions may be reduced when a designatedtime for continuing running the engine passes or the unlocked door isopened.

In the above-discussed first and second embodiments, a system where aso-called “smart key” that is an electronic key not requiring a humanoperation for communication with a vehicle machine side is employed isused. However, the present. invention is not limited to this. Thepresent invention can be applied to a system where an electronic keyrequiring a human operation for communication with a vehicle machineside is employed can be used.

The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, butvariations and modifications may be made without departing from thescope of the present invention.

1. An anti-theft system for a vehicle, comprising: a certifying deviceof an electronic key for getting in the vehicle, the certifying devicecertifying the electronic key held by a person who intends to get in thevehicle; a human body certification information certifying device thatconfirms human body certification information of the person; a door lockcontrol device that unlocks a vehicle door in a case where theelectronic key is certified by the certifying device of the electronickey for getting in the vehicle and the human body certificationinformation of the person is confirmed by the human body certificationinformation certifying device in a state where the door is locked; amemory that memorizes ID information of the electronic key when thevehicle door is unlocked by the door lock control device based on theelectronic key being certified by the certifying device of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and the human bodycertification information of the person being confirmed by the humanbody certification information certifying device; a certifying device ofan electronic key for starting an engine, the certifying devicecertifying the electronic key based on a detection by an approachingdetection sensor and reception of a response signal sent from theelectronic key held by a person who intends to start the engine; and anengine starting switch that starts the engine of the vehicle if theelectronic key is certified by the certifying device of the electronickey for starting the engine and the electronic key is an electronic keywhose ID information is memorized in the memory, without performinghuman body certification, after the vehicle door is unlocked by the doorlock control device, wherein the engine starting switch does not startthe engine of the vehicle if the electronic key is certified by thecertifying device of the electronic key for starting the engine but theelectronic key is an electronic key whose ID information is notmemorized in the memory, after the vehicle door is unlocked by the doorlock control device.
 2. The anti-theft system for a vehicle as claimedin claim 1, wherein the memory memorizes, in advance, a maximum numberof times for permitting starting the engine after the door is unlockedby the door lock control device, and the engine starting switch allowsfor starting of the engine for the permitted maximum number of timesmemorized in the memory by the electronic key which is certified by thecertifying device of the electronic key for starting the engine andwhose ID information is memorized in the memory, after the door isunlocked by the door lock control device.
 3. The anti-theft system for avehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the memory memorizes, in advance,a maximum number of times for permitting starting of the engine afterthe door is unlocked by the door lock control device, the maximum numberbeing set for every electronic key which is certified and registered,and the engine starting switch allows for starting of the engine for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory by theelectronic key which is certified by the certifying device of theelectronic key for starting the engine and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory, the maximum number corresponding to theelectronic key and being memorized in the memory, after the door isunlocked by the door lock control means.
 4. The anti-theft system for avehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory memorizes, in advance,a maximum number of times for permitting starting of the engine afterthe door is unlocked by the door lock control device, the maximum numberbeing set for every person who is certified and registered, and theengine starting control device allows for starting of the engine for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory by theelectronic key which is certified by the certifying device of theelectronic key for starting the engine and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory, the maximum number corresponding to the personwhose human body certification information is confirmed by the humanbody information certifying device at the time when the door is unlockedby the door lock control means, the maximum number being memorized inthe memory, after the door is unlocked by the door lock control means.5. The anti-theft system for a vehicle as claimed in claim 2, whereinthe engine starting switch includes a permission counter that reducesthe number of times permission is granted to start the engine by usingthe electronic key which is certified by the certifying device of theelectronic key for starting the engine and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory, when a designated time during which the engineis continued to be run passes.
 6. An anti-theft system for a vehicle,comprising: a certifying device of an electronic key for getting in thevehicle, the certifying device certifying the electronic key held by aperson who intends to get in the vehicle; a human body certificationinformation certifying device for confirming human body certificationinformation of the person; a door lock control device for unlocking avehicle door in a case where the electronic key is certified by thecertifying device of the electronic key for getting in the vehicle andthe human body certification information of the person is confirmed bythe human body certification information certifying device in a statewhere the door is locked; a writing device that writes information thatthe human body certification information is confirmed in the electronickey as readable or delete-able information, when the vehicle door isunlocked by the door lock control device based on the electronic keybeing certified by the certifying device of the electronic key forgetting in the vehicle and the human body certification information ofthe person being confirmed by the human body certification informationcertifying device; a certifying device of an electronic key for startingan engine, the certifying device certifying the electronic key based ona detection by an approaching detection sensor and reception of aresponse signal sent from the electronic key held by a person whointends to start the engine; and an engine starting switch that startsthe engine of the vehicle if the electronic key is certified by thecertifying device of the electronic key for starting the engine and theinformation that the human body certification information is certifiedis written in the electronic key, without performing human bodycertification, after the vehicle door is unlocked by the door lockcontrol device, wherein the engine starting switch does not start theengine of the vehicle if the electronic key is certified by thecertifying device of the electronic key for starting the engine but theinformation that the human body certification information is certifiedis not written in the electronic key, after the vehicle door is unlockedby the door lock control device.
 7. An anti-theft system for a vehicle,comprising: a certifying device of an electronic key for starting avehicle engine, the certifying device certifying the electronic key heldby a person who intends to start the vehicle; a human body certificationinformation certifying device for confirming human body certificationinformation of the person; an engine starting switch that starts theengine in a case where the electronic key is certified by the certifyingdevice of the electronic key for starting the engine and the human bodycertification information of the person is confirmed by the human bodycertification information certifying device in a state where the enginehas stopped running; a memory that memorizes ID information of theelectronic key when the engine is started by the engine starting switchbased on the electronic key being certified by the certifying device ofthe electronic key for starting the engine and the human bodycertification information of the person being confirmed by the humanbody certification information certifying device; a certifying device ofan electronic key for starting an engine, the certifying devicecertifying the electronic key based on a detection by an approachingdetection sensor and reception of a response signal sent from theelectronic key held by a person who intends to start the engine; and adoor locking control device that unlocks the door if the electronic keyis certified by the certifying device of the electronic key for startingthe engine and the electronic key is an electronic key whose IDinformation is memorized in the memory, without performing human bodycertification, after the engine is started by the engine startingswitch, wherein the door locking control device does not unlock the doorof the vehicle if the electronic key is certified by the certifyingdevice of the electronic key for starting the engine but the electronickey is an electronic key whose ID information is not memorized in thememory, after the engine is started by the engine starting switch. 8.The anti-theft system for a vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein thememory memorizes, in advance, a maximum number of times for permittingunlocking the door after the engine is started by the engine startingswitch, and the door locking control device allows for unlocking of thedoor for the permitted maximum number of times memorized in the memoryby the electronic key that is certified by the certifying device of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory, after the engine is started by the enginestarting control device.
 9. The anti-theft system for a vehicle asclaimed in claim 7, wherein the memory memorizes, in advance, a maximumnumber of times for permitting unlocking of the door after the engine isstarted by the engine starting switch, the maximum number of times beingset for every electronic key which is certified and registered, and thedoor locking control device that allows for unlocking of the door forthe permitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory by theelectronic key that is certified by the certifying device of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory, the maximum number corresponding to theelectronic key and being memorized in the memory, after the vehicle isstarted by the engine starting control device.
 10. The anti-theft systemfor a vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the memory memorizes, inadvance, a maximum number of times for permitting unlocking of the doorafter the engine is started by the engine starting switch, the maximumnumber being set for every person who is certified and registered, andthe door locking control device allows for unlocking of the door for thepermitted maximum number of times memorized in the memory by theelectronic key that is certified by the certifying device of theelectronic key for getting in the vehicle and whose ID information ismemorized in the memory, the maximum number corresponding to the personwhose human body certification information is confirmed by the humanbody information certifying device at the time when the engine isstarted by the engine starting switch, the maximum number beingmemorized in the memory, after the engine is started by the enginestarting switch.
 11. The anti-theft system for a vehicle as claimed inclaim 8, wherein the door locking control device includes a permissioncounter that reduces the number of times permission is granted to unlockthe door by using the electronic key that is certified by the certifyingdevice of the electronic key for getting in the vehicle and whose IDinformation is memorized in the memory, when the vehicle door isunlocked and then opened.
 12. An anti-theft system for a vehicle,comprising: a certifying device of an electronic key for starting avehicle engine, the certifying device certifying the electronic key heldby a person who intends to start the vehicle; a human body certificationinformation certifying device that confirms human body certificationinformation of the person; an engine starting switch that starts theengine in a case where the electronic key is certified by the certifyingdevice of the electronic key for starting the engine and the human bodycertification information of the person is confirmed by the human bodycertification information certifying device in a state where the enginehas stopped running; a writing device for writing information that thehuman body certification information is confirmed to the electronic keyas readable or delete-able information, when the engine is started bythe engine starting switch based on the electronic key being certifiedby the certifying device of the electronic key for starting the engineand the human body certification information of the person beingconfirmed by the human body certification information certifying device;a certifying device of an electronic key for starting an engine, thecertifying device certifying the electronic key based on a detection byan approaching detection sensor and reception of a response signal sentfrom the electronic key held by a person who intends to start theengine; and a door locking control device that unlocks the door if theelectronic key is certified by the certifying device of the electronickey for starting the engine and the information that the human bodycertification information is certified is written in the electronic key,without performing human body certification after the engine is startedby the engine starting switch, wherein the door locking control devicedoes not unlock the door if the electronic key is certified by thecertifying device of the electronic key for starting the engine but theinformation that the human body certification information is certifiedis not written in the electronic key, after the engine is started by theengine starting switch.